JUMP Smartphone Charger and Reserve Battery by Native Union

The Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the JUMP smartphone charger and reserve battery is due to end in the next 24 hours. At the time of writing it has already raised $330,000 which is just over 800% of its initial target amount of $40,000. This device offers an elegant solution to keeping your smartphone charged by automatically storing a reserve of energy within its banks for an emergency jump start if you get caught short.

There are of course many other types of reserve batteries already on the market which serve similar functions but all have their shortcomings. The development team at Native Union looked at these alternatives such as battery jackets and power banks, weighing up their strengths and weakness to devise a solution which ticks all the boxes including size, capacity and ease of use.

The end result is JUMP, a small square device which houses a rechargeable battery with two nylon cables running out of either end. One of these wires connects to a standard USB charging port while the other can feature either a Lightning connector for Apple’s iPhone and iPads or a Micro-USB fitting for other smartphone brands including Samsung, HTC and Blackberry.

The integrated battery can hold up to 800mAh, enough to restore a third of a full charge to an iPhone 5S. This is far smaller than the capacities being offered by power banks but these are much bulkier devices and this isn’t the point of JUMP, it’s just supposed to be there to get you out of a tight squeeze.

So far JUMP might sound just like a small power bank but these have a serious flaw: if you forget to keep your smartphone charged then it’s very likely you’ll also forget to keep your power bank charged, and there’s a strong possibility you’ll also forget to take it out with you. Battery jackets might be harder to forget but they just prolong the inevitable; the charge lasts longer but it can still run out due to complacency, and you’re just as likely to forget to recharge.

JUMP takes a hybrid approach by serving as an intermediary in the form of a charging cable. If you get into the habit of using it as your standard cable to charge your device with, then JUMP will always be charged as it tops itself up while you do your standard recharge. JUMP’s small size and the way in which the cables neatly wrap around and slot into itself allow it to easily fit into a pocket or bag – the only remaining hurdle is for you to remember to take it out with you.

As mentioned JUMP has already comfortably reached it crowdfunding target but there’s still time to contribute and get yours at a discount. The devices cost $40 through the Kickstarter campaign (20% less than the future standard price of $50) and if the campaign manages to reach $400,000 then a free leather case will be included with all pledged orders. This small infographic gives further details about the Kickstarter campaign.